Pirates of Radiant Garden
by Of-Sprits-and-Nightmares
Summary: AU Life isn't always what you expect it to be. Especially with a treacherous uncle that wants the throne to himself. Now, Xion, Axel, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Ven, Aqua, and Terra have to save their home the only way they can... By becoming pirates. And avoiding Navy officers like Roxas and Vanitas. Rokushi, Sokai, slight TeQua, slight RikuNam.
1. Chapter 1

Life was rarely what it seemed. One could look at the Pirate Captain Xion Fair, and assume that she were a ruthless villain, while at the same time look at King Xehanort and assume him a just ruler. That is, if what happens in the shadows doesn't define us. I'm the 'ruthless' pirate, Xion. I'm only twenty, but I've done and seen more than most people have in a lifetime.

Almost five years ago, my life was good. I was just a hand maid for the Princesses Kairi and Naminé. I was raised with them, and they were my family. In more ways than you would think. My mother was just a servant in the castle of Radiant Garden, where she caught the eye of the late King Ansem. Yes, I'm the bastard child of the king. That never bothered me.

My mother died in childbirth, and Ansem took me in. I'm only a few weeks younger than Naminé, while about two years younger than Kairi. Admittedly, the Queen never liked me, but she died of an illness when I was only five. I don't remember much about her. My mother's brother, Zack, often helped take care of me. He was a knight, and though he was young, he was smart, strong, and had a good heart. My father's half-brother, Xehanort also helped care for me, even though he was more distant about it. We had a lot in common, even though no one ever talked about it. He was also a bastard child, and though older than Ansem, was never shunned by the rightful heir. I never really saw him as jealous, but now that I look back at it, it was rather obvious.

Kairi was seventeen, the rightful heir to the throne, and Ansem wanted to find a proper Suiter for her. At the time, I would often sneak Kairi and occasionally Naminé out of the castle to hang out with the kids on Radiant Garden. Kairi liked a brunette boy named Sora Leonheart. He was also seventeen, and though he was a goofball, it was obvious that he liked her back. There was Riku Valentine, eighteen, aloof attitude and silver hair. He was the 'cool' one. I was pretty sure Naminé liked him, but she never said anything about it to me.

There were Master Eraqus' students. Master Eraqus was pretty much everyone's teacher. When Kairi, Naminé, and I were little, he was our teacher, though when his student, Aqua, turned eighteen, he passed that duty to her. Aqua and the other two students of Master Eraqus were all five years older than Kairi. So, we couldn't exactly call them kids. They were all about twenty-two. Terra was the tallest, and he had joined the Navy with Ventus Strife. Terra and Aqua were both orphans, and taken in by Eraqus. Ventus, and his younger brother Roxas were the children of my uncle's best friend, Cloud Strife.

Anyways, Terra and Ventus were serving on the ship 'Flurry of Dancing Flames', and their captain was one of the youngest officers, Lea 'Axel' Flynn. He and Vanitas Leonheart were twenty-two as well, both were obviously competing against each other for top spot in the Navy. I never liked Vanitas, but I loved Axel. He was both my best friend and in many ways my brother. He was the one that taught me everything I know about a ship. He wouldn't admit it, but I was pretty sure I was better than him at sailing.

Whenever Axel and the others were in town, Kairi and I would often sneak off to go meet them. Naminé was always too afraid of getting in trouble, and only went from time to time. It was always worth the scoldings though. A little party among friends. This day was just like any other, except Kairi was supposed to go with her father to visit a neighboring country. Instead, she snuck out with me. The king left without her, and that was the last anyone saw of him. There had been an accident that killed the king. Kairi was next in line, but it was hard for her. I spent almost a week consoling her and Naminé... I just never let them see how much it hurt me as well...

I had finished my duties for the day, and was going to check on Kairi one last time before retiring for the night, when I learned the truth. I overheard Xehanort talking with Vanitas. I was ready to keep walking when they mentioned something that horrified me. It was all planned. It wasn't an accident at all. It was murder. Kairi was supposed to have died as well. Now there was a problem. Kairi was in the way of the crown. I almost wondered why Naminé wasn't mentioned, but I guessed it was because she was too timid to fight. She never wanted to lead the country.

I overheard their new plan. Poison. I was to be the scapegoat. I was the one that always brought Kairi her food. It would fall on me... Terrified, I quietly slipped away and made my way to Aqua. I explained everything. Thankfully, she believed me. We formed an escape plan that night, knowing that there would be no immediate defense against Xehanort. He held too much power. She got the gang together, and Axel was willing to provide his ship. I just had to get Kairi and Naminé.

The next morning, I was extremely careful and made breakfast by hand, rather than allow one of the cooks to do so. Taking it to Kairi, I explained everything. She didn't want to believe me, and it took me hours to convince her otherwise. We would be leaving that night. I attempted to talk Naminé into joining us, but... Well, she not only didn't believe me, but she ran to Xehanort. Before we knew what was happening, Kairi and I had guards on our tails. I was just lucky that I knew all the secret paths and exits from the castle.

Sora and Riku met us outside the castle, and they insisted on coming with. When we made it to the harbor, most of the town was on high alert. We had no time to finish loading supplies. We just had to get on the ship and go. Vanitas almost cut us off, but I took the wheel from Ventus. He may have been a brilliant helmsman, but I was stubborn and reckless. I called to fire on the dark ship known as the Void Gear, and after several holes in our ship as well, we managed to escape into open water. We were fugitives.

The first few months were chaotic. We were hounded by Radiant Garden's Navy, and even preyed upon by pirates. It was stressful on everyone, but somehow I managed to hold everyone together. I called for reckless maneuvering, and attacks that somehow helped us to survive. In one seabattle, we almost lost to a pirate known as Saïx. In the end, Flurry of Dancing Flames took irreparable damage, but we had taken The Luna Diviner. Saïx had died from numerous injuries, as had most of his crew. Those that survived, I marooned on an island with enough supplies to last a month.

I wasn't completely heartless. Just protective of my friends and family. I was the unspoken leader of our little crew, and what started as a nickname became reality. I was the Captain. I renamed the ship Oblivion, as a promise to take down Xehanort. Word spread, probably from the survivors of Saïx's crew, and attacks from other pirates became less common. Whenever we made land at pirate ports, I could see the fear and respect others held. My crew agreed to let the rumors build. I had kidnapped the princess of Radiant Garden. I was a ruthless pirate that held little mercy. I murdered for fun, looted for pleasure. None of it was true, other than I was Radiant Garden's most wanted. Well, technically I had kidnapped Kairi... But she had come willingly. Did that count? I didn't know, or care.

I kept journals, in case I couldn't take Xehanort down. I wanted the truth to be written down, and if needed, spread. I still had no idea how I would take back our home, but I knew that when the time came, everything would be set right.

A year after we had ran way, one of our biggest threats came knocking. Ventus' brother, Roxas, was making a name for himself. He not only had joined the Navy after we left, but in a year's time, he now was captain over the ship Oathkeeper. He had managed to track us down, and ambushed us. I couldn't bring us to fight him. He was Ven's brother. We managed to escape, but only because the weather was on our side. Ven, I swear, could control the wind. A storm, which normally would be something to be feared, had saved us. Ven at the helm had gotten us away from the Oathkeeper, and to the safety of an island that only we knew about.

Fog seemed to always be surrounding the island, along with dangerous rocks, jutting from the ocean. Ventus, Axel, and I had learned the secrets to navigating through the rocks, and made the island our hideout and home. We had built houses on the island, enough for the eight of us, as well as a storehouse for our supplies. When we made it to the island after Roxas' attack, it was a week before we could talk Ventus out of his hut. I promised him that we wouldn't go near his brother, and if he were to get too close, we would flee. It was only fair. I could see just how much he cared for his little brother. I knew how much it hurt him to leave. I hated that my friend hurt, but I could at least promise him this.

Three and a half years of running and attacking passed. I only attacked other pirates and Naval bases. I learned to enjoy the raids we would hold. Against popular belief, we never touched women or children. The only people we harmed, were the soldiers of the Army and the Navy. I hated killing, but it was better than dying ourselves. In the years, Sora and Kairi d gotten together, as had Terra and Aqua. Ven didn't have anyone, though I knew of a girl that he fancied. Her name was Fuu. She didn't speak much, but that didn't matter to Ventus. Riku, however, had decided that he fancied me. I didn't return the feelings, however. I didn't care for anyone, honestly. I didn't have time for a relationship, other than friendship. I doubted that I would ever really care for someone.

A storm was brewing when the ever persistent Oathkeeper came into view. So much for getting away from the storm. "Ventus! Scratch the previous order. We're heading into the storm!" I called from the crow's nest. It was my favorite place to just think, aside from my quarters. As I scaled down, the crew got to work, fastening lifelines, securing rigging, cannons, and supplies. We all knew the drill. I got to work along side everyone else. Another something that set us aside from other pirates. I had no superiority complex. I may have called the shots, but I pulled my weight like everyone else.

Usually, this maneuver would get Roxas to back off, but it seemed he was getting desperate to catch us. He followed us into the storm. Cursing under my breath at the stupidity of the younger Strife, I urged Ven on. We wouldn't fight. We couldn't. After some time, we had lost sight of the Oathkeeper. What I was unaware of, was the ship had lost it's fight with the storm. It was a difficult night, but we managed to get to safety ourselves.

Days later, we set our sight on an outlying Naval port. Small military town, few women and children, and I knew they would be protected far more than the rest of the post. Axel and I devised a plan, one that would draw the soldiers and officers to the beach. Aqua, Terra, and Ventus would row to shore in the cover of night while the Oblivion lay in wait on the other side of the island. They would sabotage the port's cannons, and cripple the ships. Ventus would then return to the ship and notify the others. Axel, Riku, and I would prepare a bonfire down the beach. This would block off escape that way. Sora and Ventus would stay with Kairi on the ship until everything was safe. They would maneuver the ship and fire at the ships after the bonfire was started, and after we pinned the soldiers between us and the fire. This would cause panic and chaos. Most often it was the fear caused by this tactic along side the rumors about me that defeated them before the actual fight could begin.

That night, everything in preparation went off without a hitch. And then the fire was lit. Soldiers came, as expected, to investigate, but among them was a certain blonde officer that I was certain we had lost. Roxas glared defiantly at me and drew his sword, a black blade. "I've waited a long time to find you like this, Fair..." He spat, his anger evident in his voice.

Sighing, I drew my own sword, a silver and gold blade that my uncle Zack had given me years ago. "Roxas Strife... What happened to your ship?" I asked, sneering a bit. I'd play the part of a pirate, but we needed to get back to the Oblivion as soon as possible.

The blonde ignored my question, though his glare hardened. "Surrender, or I promise that it will be your head returned to the King.."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Surrender? Blondie, you're the one that should be surrendering. You're the one backed into a corner." Unfortunately, a smirk formed on his features, quickly followed by a sharp whistle. Soldiers moved from the jungle, blocking our exit. Normally, five of the eight of us could take on twenty or more, but we held the advantage of fear. Roxas seemed to know how we worked, which to be fair, he had been tracking us for years. He was bound to pick up some of our tricks. This time, we were pinned between soldiers and the ocean.

Surrender wasn't an option. Not for me. We would be forced to fight this one out. Then came the boom from the cannons. Sora, Kairi, and Ven to the rescue. Roxas' smirk faded into a scowl. He hadn't been planning on that. With the second boom, the five of us on the beach got to work, dispatching those soldiers too foolish to fight. We were outnumbered, but they were out matched and in a panic. Roxas was the only one that really had a level head. Because of that, he charged at me.

He was stronger than I expected for someone so lean. He was my age, and only a little taller than me, but it felt like I was sparring with Axel or Ventus. Only this wasn't a spar. We were evenly matched, at least skill wise. I was slightly faster, but he was stronger. I lost track of time, and unfortunately began to wear out. Blocking his hard hits was becoming increasingly difficult. I heard Axel call out to me, though I didn't catch what he said. Probably something like watch out, because the next thing I knew, I was on my back, gasping for air. My sword was knocked from my hand, and I felt the boot of the blonde on my chest, keeping me down.

"Last chance, Fair... Yield." He sounded tired, probably was. And on the bright side, he was a bit of a gentleman. I obviously had lost, and he still was giving me a choice. My blue eyes gazed up at him, more so to assess the situation. His face still held traces of his anger, and I had little doubt that he wouldn't kill me if I defied him now. "Well?" He asked, impatience coloring his tone. I chanced another look around, and my crew was in a panic. Then I saw a new player to the game, racing towards us. A smirk played over my lips.

"You know, Roxy... You should have surrendered earlier..." That comment just seemed to piss him off. He brought his sword up, ready to end my life when Ventus knocked the butt of his sword against his brother's skull, the blow knocking him out. The black blade slipped from his hand and landed just inches from my neck, imbedded in the sand. "... That was too close for comfort..." I quietly mused as I slowly got up. Ven was checking on his brother, assessing his wounds. I had managed a few good slashed, the most evident one across his chest. The sand in that would hurt, but the younger blonde was out cold. He wouldn't be aware of it.

After Roxas fell, the remaining soldiers quickly surrendered. I ordered Terra and Riku to tie them up and got some rope myself. I knew that we couldn't leave Roxas here. But I sure as hell wasn't going to kill him. I walked over to Ventus who was patching up his brother, frowning slightly. This wouldn't be easy for anyone. "Ven?" I called, catching his attention. "We need him restrained before he wakes up... He'll be coming with us..."

That seemed to startle the blonde. "What? Is that a good idea? The rest of the Navy will hound us worse than before, and Roxas won't just sit quiet, you know this..." He was scared. I could see it.

Nodding, I knelt down and began tying the younger blonde up. "And if we leave him, he'll just come after us. He almost died a few days ago... Talk with the other prisoners, and they'll let you know that his ship sank in the storm. He was lucky to wash ashore here... He's your brother, and I promised we wouldn't kill him... I promised we wouldn't attack him... I broke my promise twice now... He will be safer with us... Besides... There is a chance that you'll be able to get him to see the truth..." Ven obviously hated the idea of his baby brother being in harms way. It took him a few moments, but he agreed. "Get him to the ship and Kairi and Aqua can finish patching him up.."

I ordered Aqua to go back with Ven, while the rest of us took what supplies we needed. I also left a message for whomever found this place first, whither it be Vanitas or some other captain. We had Roxas. We weren't going to trade. We were coming for Radiant Garden. Once we had what we needed, I cut one man free just before boarding the boat back to my ship. He would get the survivors free and they would tend to themselves. We had problems of our own to deal with. Injuries were just the start. Now we had to deal with something that was new to us all. A prisoner that we all knew. One that I knew at least Riku wanted dead, while at least Ventus wanted safe. I would have the crew divided. I would have to find a medium. "Well... This won't be easy..." I murmured as I climbed aboard my ship.


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks. Two chaotic weeks had passed since we had captured Roxas. As I had expected, Riku deemed the blonde too dangerous and wanted us to get rid of him. That had earned him a lovely black eye from Ventus. Ven wanted to keep his baby brother safe. I understood that, but Roxas was hell bent on killing Ven because of what Xehanort had told him. All he knew was that I had killed the king, kidnapped the princess, and Ven and the rest of the crew were my accomplices.

Tensions were high, and the only way I could keep the peace was to make Roxas work. I felt bad treating him like a cabin boy, as I was well aware that he was a captain, but others, especially Riku backed off. At least this way, the blonde earned his rations and wasn't confined in a cell. I put Ven and Axel in charge of him, knowing they wouldn't push him too far, not take unnecessary risks. We all knew that Roxas was looking for a way to escape.

For the first three days, this arrangement hadn't been a welcomed change. Ven didn't know how to act around his brother, Roxas refused to work, Axel had to stop a couple potential fights. I hated it, but I had to lay down the law. After one particular fight, I personally had to drag the younger Strife down to the brig.

"You don't get it, do you?" I growled as I locked him in the cell. He could keep the shackles for now. "Ventus, your own brother is risking his hide just to keep you alive, and how do you repay him? You try to kill him, you disrespect him, you trample over everything he has been trying to do for you!"

I glared at Roxas. I couldn't understand how he could hold such hate for his brother. And all he would do, was glare back at me. No explanation, no threats, nothing. Just his cold hard glare. "...Fine... If you want food or water, you work for it. Any fights, and you'll receive nothing. I'll give you a few days to think over my offer."

I left him alone for two days, under the orders of no food or water. Ven was stressed, but at least he understood that Roxas was being too stubborn for his own good. After the two days, I came down with water, a couple slices of bread, and an apple. He was sitting in the corner, leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed. I would have assumed he were sleeping, but as I unlocked the door to his cell, his eyes snapped open, fixing on me with a weak glare. I could see that he wasn't nearly as angry as he was earlier. This was good.

"Good morning. Willing to talk about my offer?" I asked as I set the plate down next to me before shutting the door behind me. I wanted us to talk, one on one, without the bars between us.

"...Working for pirates..?" He asked with a rough voice. He was obviously thirsty. "I think I would rather die..."

Sighing, I shook my head and sat down, offering him the cup with water. "I doubt that... You're too stubborn for that. You want to bring justice. I can see it." As I talked, he slowly took he cup, hesitant, but self preservation was there. "Besides, it isn't joining the crew. You can hold your integrity there. We forced you to work for your food..."

I watched him mull the idea over. He didn't like it, but he was easy to read. This way he could learn the workings of the ship. He could learn the crew's actions, their weaknesses. That would be something that could convince him to stay. To not try something stupid yet. It would give him time to learn the truth.

"Fine..." He finally muttered after a moment. "...I'll work... But I will defend myself..." Obviously, he still thought so little of us as pirates. Honestly, I couldn't help but roll my eyes a bit.

"Very well. Ventus and Axel will be who you answer to aside from me. Eat up, you've got a long day ahead of you," I explained as I handed him the plate before leaving the cell, locking it once more behind me. One of the boys would be down in an hour for Roxas.

My day after that was spent mostly at the helm, replacing Ventus while he and Axel, my first mate, we're showing Roxas around, explaining his duties. Very basic, but I wanted him to understand how I wanted it here on my ship. Any mistakes would be at his fault from this point out.

Riku, and to some extent Terra, still hasled me a bit about this, though they weren't as aggressive about it. No, Riku was back to his protective worrying. He wanted me to be safe. I understood that, even though it was annoying. Better than his flirting, but I could see plain as day that he still wanted more than friendship.

Kairi and Aqua both made sure Roxas' injuries from our fight were healing up nicely, though Aqua doted on Ventus a bit. She knew that he was stressed about his brother being here, especially as it was unwillingly. Not much I really could do that wouldn't backfire.

Sora tried to be friendly with Roxas, but the poor boy was shut down. He didn't exactly take no very well though. The brunette was kind, but rather dense from time to time. Everyone was his friend, and the younger Strife, even though a prisoner, was included. I had to bark at Sora a bit to keep him on his tasks for the days after Roxas agreed to work.

I couldn't say that Roxas cared much for anyone here. He still hated Ventus, but I could see that he liked Axel. He was respectful to Kairi and Aqua, but with Terra and Riku? Well, he just didn't care for them. I couldn't tell where I sat with him, but he no longer shot glares in my direction all day. For the moment, at least, I had managed to work the problem out and I would take it. Even if it was strained peace, it was as better than chaos.

Life had started to go smoothly again, but that changed one day when a storm began to move in. It was far larger than the normal ones. In all honesty, it looked like we were in for a hurricane, and getting to the safety of a sheltered Bay was going to be difficult. Yes, we had a place, a bay that lead to a cavern. Unless we were at our island, we used this as shelter from the big storms. It would still rock the ship, but it wouldn't tear us to shreds.

Ven was at the helm, working his best to stay ahead of the majority of the storm. We had no idea if we were being hit head on or just a glancing blow, or else we probably would make our way to the eye of the storm. We had to work with our luck on this one. Not that Luck every really was on our side.

The rest of us did our best to ensure everything was secured. With how the waves tossed us, our lifelines were the only thing keeping us on board. Noting that we had forgotten about Roxas, I ordered Sora to take him back to his cell. Not that I didn't trust him, but I didn't. And it was probably safer there than out on deck.

I attempted to make my way up to Ventus, but just as I got there, a huge wave crashed over the starboard side, knocking Ventus down. I would have fallen too, had I not been holding onto the railing. The ship started to tip as it lost it's guiding hand, causing me to curse and scramble to the wheel. As I grabbed the wheel and attempted to regain control over my ship, I heard calls that made my blood run cold.

"Ventus!"

"Man overboard!"

I knew the crew was working to help our friend, but I was stuck where I was. I had to keep fighting the storm, or we would all die here. I hated it.

"Roxas! What are you doing?!"

Caught off guard by this one, I tried to focus on what was happening. I caught sight of a blonde race up from below deck and grab something before diving overboard. Just what the hell was going on?!

Another wave hit, forcing my attention back on what I was doing. I didn't know what to do about both Strifes being overboard. All I knew was that I didn't want my friend to die and I didn't want to lose the fight with this storm. I prayed to whatever God would hear me that this would all work out.

"He has Ventus! Pull the rope!"

Axel's voice seemed to be the answer to my prayer. Ven had a chance. And it was because of Roxas. His brother that wanted him dead. What had changed in the past week? I didn't know. I couldn't focus on that. I knew Kairi and Aqua would take care of both. I just had to get us to the bay. Glancing at the compass, I saw we were somehow still in the right direction. I knew we couldn't be far off.

"Axel! Keep an eye out for the island! Have Kairi and Aqua take care of the Strifes!" I made my order just before another wave almost knocked me down. I wouldn't let go, however. I wasn't going to lose now... I couldn't.


	3. Chapter 3

Once we reached the safety of the bay, the first thing I did was check on the Strife boys. Ventus was out cold, but according to Aqua, he would be fine. He just needed to rest. She did warn me that Roxas also needed rest, but it went unspoken that his cell was not a good idea. We both knew it. It was too cold down there for anyone stuck with wet clothing. So, I did something probably completely stupid.

"Roxas," I called, catching his attention. I couldn't tell if he was glaring or if he was just tired. For all I knew, it could be both. "Come with me, please."

He seemed reluctant to do so, but thankfully he didn't argue. We made our way up to my quarters, where I invited him in. Yeah. Completely stupid on my part. I motioned for him to sit, and again I saw his hesitation. First time he had been in here. Roxas obviously had no idea what to expect.

Was I going to do something to him, just talk with him? In some ways he was easy to read. Funny how I could tell what he was thinking, just not what he thought of people. Well.. Some people. He was very guarded around me. Was that because of the rumors? What Xehanort told him? Or because what he saw contradicted it all?

"I know you didn't do anything for me, but reguardless, you saved my friend's life. For that, I thank you." He almost seemed shocked, and was about to cut in, when I shot him a slight glare. I wasn't finished talking. "Look, no arguing, explaining yourself, or whatever it was you were going to do. This is me thanking you, and you can deal with it.

"Now.. I'd like for you to stay here for the night." What surprised me was how Roxas suddenly blushed.

"W-what..? Here!?" He stammered out. Honestly, I was rather confused by this. Usually, he wouldn't say anything that wasn't derogatory towards me. What had him so flustered? I hadn't meant for it to mean anything. I still had a lot to do before retiring for the night, but looking back on it, I can see my mistake. Still... Why would that fluster him? Shouldn't his reaction be angry? He made no sense.

I nodded.

"Why? Wouldn't that be stupid on your part?" Ah.. There it was. Back to normal Roxas. "What if I try to escape or try to kill you, or take you hostage? It wouldn't be difficult."

"Then you either escape, or have to deal with the rest of the crew. You may not trust me, but Roxas.. You didn't have to save your brother... You could have taken advantage of the situation... And yet, you didn't. That alone has earned my trust.." I stated softly before I made my way to the door. I didn't let him try to argue. He could think this all over. "Get some rest," I ordered softly before heading back out of the room.

Roxas also had the opportunity to escape, if he wanted. I wouldn't stop him, if that's what he wanted, though Ven would hate me for it. I still wanted to show Roxas that I wasn't heartless. I needed him to trust us, if he were to ever learn the truth about what Xehanort actually was...

I set to work, checking supplies, mostly to see if the storm had ruined anything, and to see what we needed more of. We probably would need to go to port sometime soon, but I wanted to hold off as long as possible with Roxas around. Sighing, I began my mental check list, unaware that a certain redhead was watching me.

"Xion, you should be getting some rest.." Axel's voice startled me from my thoughts. I whirled around and quickly began to chew him out for scaring me.

"Oi! Do you have to sneak up behind me all the time?" I snapped, scowling at my best friend.

All that earned me was a chuckle. "Not my fault you don't pay attention. Now why are you doing this now? Why not in the morning like any sane person would do? Which blonde has you so wound up that you can't sleep?"

I was about to tell him to mind his own business, but technically, this was his business. "I just don't want to sleep yet.." I muttered as I glanced away. I admit, I was almost pouting at how Axel knew me so well. It was annoying how observant he actually was. Still, better to talk than to let him use this as a month to tease me. "We almost lost Ven.. That's on me.. I knew that we should have stopped at Destiny Islands for supplies days ago. We wouldn't have been out here in the open if we had stuck to our routine..."

Axel smiled softly and pulled me into a hug. "You don't get it, do ya, Kid? Yeah, we almost lost Ventus, but we didn't. We almost all died in the storm, but we didn't. Ven's alive, Kairi's alive, Roxas is alive. Focus on that. You can't take every burden on yourself, got it memorized?"

Again, with that stupid line. I chuckled a bit and hugged him back. He was right. I did have a habit of taking everything on myself, and it wasn't good. He knew it, I knew it. This was why he was just as much of my family as Kairi was.

"Now... Let's get this done, so we can get some sleep. Blondie should be asleep by the time we're done," Axel stated as he pulled back, a smirk playing over his features. I couldn't help but roll my eyes, though I agreed.

We got through most of the supplies before I was really struggling to stay awake. There was no cold rain to wake me up, no adrenalin to keep me awake.. It was all gone, leaving me beyond tired. Axel wasn't helping either. Usually we would chat about little things that needed to be done, but I swear he was purposely staying quiet. He wanted me to fall asleep.

Unfortunately, he was getting his way. I dimly remember him picking me up and carrying me back to my room. I knew Roxas was awake, as I heard Axel talk to him a bit, but as he set me down in my bed, I was sound asleep. Unaware that he had caught the blonde going through my journals. Unaware that Roxas now knew exactly what had happened, that he realized just how much Xehanort had been manipulating him...


	4. Chapter 4 Roxas POV

Roxas' POV

As I sat in Xion's quarters, I thought over everything that had happened. Well, the last five years, anyways. Five years ago, none of this was foreseeable. 'Axel' Flynn was the captain over the ship Ventus was serving on. Back when I looked up to him and did everything he wanted. Ven never wanted me to join the Navy. He always said I deserved more freedom than that. Looking back, I can see why he never wanted that for me.

I remember when he told me that he wanted more for me. He had just gotten back from a rather long voyage. It was before we were going to meet with the others. Axel, Terra, and Ven always had some sort of party when they would get back. Aqua, the Princesses' teacher was also Terra and Ven's best friend, and Axel's best friend was Xion... She was just a handmaid for Princess Kairi and Princess Naminé. Xion would often sneak out Kairi for these little get togethers, while Sora Leonheart and Riku Valentine would tag along. It was no secret that Kairi and Sora liked each other. I usually only tagged along when I was certain that Xion was there.. Yeah, I had liked her then.. I never acted on it. Riku liked her too, and I didn't want to start anything.

I had mentioned to Ven that I had considered signing up for the Navy. I didn't know if I was expecting an angry response or a happy one. Truth was, I didn't get either. He just smiled at me sadly before insisting I do something else. He explained how it was hard to be at sea for so long, hard to be away from friends and family for so long. He didn't want that for me. His reasoning was enough for me.

Everything was nice for the next day, at least, until we all found out that King Ansem had died in an accident on his way to meet with another kingdom. That meant that Kairi was to be next. Ven and I were in the living room just talking like we would do since he joined the Navy, though there wasn't much joking. We were both worried. Kairi was seventeen. Was she really ready for this sort of responsibility? A knock at the door caught both of us off guard.

"I got it," Ven stated as he shot me a small smile, getting up to answer the door. It was Aqua. Odd...

"Ven? Can I speak with you outside real quick?" She seemed worried. Almost scared. It was unsurprising that Ven agreed, stepping out and shutting the door behind him.

It wasn't more than a few moments before Ventus came running back in. He never said anything as he raced to his room and began packing. What was going on?

"Ven? What's going on? Where are you going?" I asked, blocking the doorway, preventing Ven from leaving the room. I needed an explination.

He sighed as he finished packing, his blue eyes meeting mine for a moment. "Axel was given a pretty important mission, and we have to leave in a few hours..." He was telling the truth, that much I was certain of at the time. Ven sucked at lying. He then got up and quickly rushed passed me, stopping momentarily at the door. "Roxas? Stay safe and tell Mom and Dad that I love 'em.. I'll see ya when I get back," He said, sending me a sad smile before disappearing out the door.

Looking back, he always told us how long he was supposed to be out. He didn't this time. Ventus always told us what sort of mission he was going out on, where he was going, but not this time. I should have realized that something was wrong... I should have stopped him...

That night, I explained to my parents that Ven had left. I noticed that guards were on high alert, which was odd, but I guess I just wasn't paying that much attention. I never realized what had actually happened until a knock at the door came the next morning.

"Mr. Strife?" A voice came from the door, obviously dad had answered it. "We are here to inquire about your son, Ventus. Have you noticed any unusual behavior from him as of late?"

"Ventus? No. He isn't here often. He is usually out with the Navy on missions. What is this about?" Cloud asked, his voice tense. Ven wasn't the one to get into such trouble.

"Last night, Ventus assisted the criminal and traitor Xion Fair in kidnapping Princess Kairi. Fair is also believed to have sabotaged King Ansem's carriage, leading to his death."

I didn't hear much after that. I was in shock. I didn't know what had hit me the hardest. Xion murdering Ansem and kidnapping Kairi, or my own brother helping her... Xion was too kind to do such things, right? This had to be some mistake. Ventus couldn't have assisted in anything like this... He always talked about doing the right thing... This couldn't be it...

It was days before I was able to gather myself enough to do anything. Shock had shifted into anger. My first instinct was to bring them to justice. The only way to do that, was to join the Navy. I was almost denied, but Xehanort, the acting King until either Kairi returned or Naminé decided to take the throne, insisted on seeing me. I had to insist that I was nothing like my brother. I pledged my loyalty to Radiant Garden. My parents weren't happy about me joining the Navy, but I didn't understand why not. I wouldn't make Ventus' mistakes. I was going to fix them.

It took me four years to work my way up to the status of Captain. A ship was commissioned for me, Oathkeeper. I wasn't the youngest captain in record, but I had worked my way up far faster than even Vanitas Leonheart had. We both had to work with disgraceful family members. However, we were rivals. Something about him always set me on edge. We both hunted Fair with everything we could, but I was the one with the closest encounters.

Then I lost my ship. I had no one to blame but myself. I shouldn't have tried following the Oblivion into the storm. I knew Ventus was the best helmsmen that the Navy ever had. I see why Xion had wanted him... Axel was in ways far mor cunning than Vanitas. He had been a pirate hunter. That's what most of his missions were. Terra was one of the strongest men that he knew, Aqua was brilliant at everything, including healing.. I figured that Sora and Riku were learning from the best, Xion was obviously the mastermind if she could kidnap the princess in broad daylight... I just hoped Kairi was fine. That Naminé would have her sister back soon.. Funny how even when struggling to keep from drowning, I was focused on my job...

I was lucky to wash up on the shores of one of our outposts. I had explained that the Oblivion was in the area, and I gave them the tactics that I had seen them use. It was just a matter of time before this outpost was it. They, in turn, send a message to Radiant Garden about my whereabouts. This would keep Naminé and my parents from worrying too much..

Not even a day later, I noticed the bonfire being lit by the damned Pirates. I sent one group out through the jungle, while I lead another group. I would catch them this time.

Xion obviously hadn't been expecting me, though she was counting on her usual ambush tactic to win this fight. That much was obvious. I glared defiantly at her and drew my sword, a black blade. "I've waited a long time to find you like this, Fair..."

Sighing, she drew her own sword, a silver and gold blade. "Roxas Strife... What happened to your ship?" She asked, sneering a bit.

The raven just had to bring that up, didn't she? I ignored her question. I had to keep my focus. "Surrender, or I promise that it will be your head returned to the King.."

She laughed at that. "Surrender? Blondie, you're the one that should be surrendering. You're the one backed into a corner."

I smirked at her comment and whistled, signaling those in hiding. Soldiers moved from the jungle, blocking their exit. Normally, five of the seven of them could take on twenty or more, but they held the advantage of fear and panic. I knew how they worked.

It looked like she was prepared for a fight to the death. Fine with me. Then came the boom from the cannons. My smirk faded into a scowl. I hadn't been planning on that. I guess I should have realized that Ventus and Sora weren't with them... With the second boom, the five of them got to work, taking on those too close or already charging without my orders. Idiots. I was the only one that really had a level head. Because of that, I took on Xion.

I was surprised at how well the raven actually could fight. She was probably as fast as Vanitas, but not as strong as me. I did have to spar with the Leonheart from time to time. It had kept me in shape. Other than that, I could say that we were evenly matched. Over the course of the fight, Xion had managed a couple good hits. One across my chest definitely slowed me down. It didn't stop me from hitting hard. I could see that she was beginning to wear out. Good. I was getting tired myself. Then, I saw my opening. I wasn't the only one as Axel saw it too. He tried to warn his friend, but it was too late. I knocked her onto her back and quickly knocked her sword from her hand before she could regain her sense. She instinctively tried to roll over, but I wouldn't let her. I placed my foot on her chest with enough force to keep her down.

"Last chance, Fair... Yield." I couldn't help it. A small part of me still cared about her. I didn't want to kill her, though I would if I had to. I watched her try to assess the situation. Nothing was in her favor. "Well?"

A smirk played over her lips. "You know, Roxy... You should have surrendered earlier..." Did she have a death wish? Obviously if she dared use that damned pet name. I brought up my sword, prepared to take her out with one sharp blow to the heart. I wouldn't make her suffer. I wasn't as cruel as Vanitas. Then, a sharp pain bloomed from the back of my head. I wasn't aware of anything else as I slipped into darkness.

I woke up in a cell on the Oblivion. I hated how stupid I had been. I had been so focused on that girl that I didn't bother watching for others. Again, no one to blame but myself... I slowly sat up and realized that they had bothered to patch me up. The gash on my chest was bandaged, and with how it ached, probably stitched up where it was needed. My shirt and coat were sitting on the edge of the cot. It didn't make much sense. I mean, these pirates were known for being merciless. Why bother keeping me alive? Why bother with taking care of my wounds?

I glanced around and noticed that I was the only prisoner. Where was Kairi? Was she alive? If so, where did they keep her? I then noticed someone sitting just outside my cell, sleeping... Ventus. Anger filled my thoughts as soon as that clicked as well as a small amount of relief. What the hell was he doing there? I did my best to ignore him and carefully pulled my shirt and coat back on. I didn't trust myself in talking to Ven... I didn't know if I would curse him out or beg him to come home...

Ventus, after waking up, tried to talk to me, tried to offer me food, water, anything I needed, really. I still refused to talk. After that, Xion tried to get me to work around the ship. I just about attacked Riku once and in all honesty was just being as big of a pain in the ass as I could to Xion. I managed three days of this before Xion had enough of it. She actually had the strength to drag me back to the cell.

"You don't get it, do you?" She growled as she locked me in the cell. "Ventus, your own brother is risking his hide just to keep you alive, and how do you repay him? You try to kill him, you disrespect him, you trample over everything he has been trying to do for you!" Ven? Ven was the reason I was alive still? Did my brother actually care? Or did he just feel guilt?

Xion glared at me. And all I could do, was glare back at her. No explanation, no threats, nothing. I had nothing. I was still trying to wrap my head around how different this ship actually was from the rumors. "...Fine... If you want food or water, you work for it. Any fights, and you'll receive nothing. I'll give you a few days to think over my offer."

By the time those two days were up, I was kicking myself. I couldn't let myself die here. Starvation and Dehydration definitely wasn't the way I wanted to go anyways. I still had to know what had happened to Kairi, why Xion had killed the king, why Ven had helped Xion. I then heard Xion unlock my cell door and walk in. I glared at her as she walked in, though it probably wasn't very threatening.

"Good morning. Willing to talk about my offer?" Xion asked as she set the plate down next to her before shutting the door behind her.

"...Working for pirates..?" I asked with a rough voice. Damn.. I was hoping my voice would have sounded stronger than that. "I think I would rather die..."

Sighing, the Raven shook her head and sat down, offering me the cup with water. "I doubt that... You're too stubborn for that. You want to bring justice. I can see it." As she talked, I slowly took the cup, hesitant. "Besides, it isn't joining the crew. You can hold your integrity there. We forced you to work for your food..."

I didn't like it, but this way I could learn the workings of the ship. I could learn the crew's actions, their weaknesses, where Kairi was, what had happened to her. That would prevent me from trying something stupid again. "Fine..." I finally muttered after a moment. "...I'll work... But I will defend myself..."

"Very well. Ventus and Axel will be who you answer to aside from me. Eat up, you've got a long day ahead of you," Xion explained as she handed me the plate before leaving the cell, locking it once more behind her.

'Great. More time with my brother...' I thought sarcastically as I focused on the food.

The next few weeks were rather uneventful, though I quickly realized that Kairi was part of the crew. She wasn't a prisoner like herself. In fact, she seemed to be happy. From what I saw, she and Sora were dating. It didn't make sense, unless they brainwashed the princess... This left me even more confused about what had happened...

Then the storm hit. It was far bigger than the one that took my ship. I did my best to help secure things. It didn't matter that I was a prisoner. If the ship sank, we would all die. I then heard the order for Sora to take me down to my cell. I wanted to argue, but didn't. It would be pointless. The ship made a couple big rocks, making me worry that we would flip, and then I heard something that made my blood run cold.

"Ventus!"

"Man overboard!"

I was acting on instinct. I ran past Sora, ignoring those calling my name. I took hold of rope that I was certain was secured to the ship before diving in after my brother. He was sinking by the time I managed to grab him. Pulling him up to the surface, I tied the rope around him before pulling on it, trying to get the attention of others to pull us aboard. They seemed to get the hint and we were both pulled aboard.

As soon as we were safe, I made sure Ventus was breathing. When I was certain he was, I allowed Terra to take him down below, where Aqua and Kairi were waiting. I slowly got up and followed, allowing them to check over me as well. I didn't care much for myself, and I was surprised at how much I still worried over my big brother. I didn't pay attention to how long I was down there with them before Xion came down to check on us. She was just as drenched as the rest of us and looked beyond worried until Aqua insisted that we would both be fine.

"Roxas," The raven called, catching my attention. "Come with me, please." I nodded and followed her up to her quarters. This was surprising. It was one of the few places I hadn't been to on this ship. In all honesty, I was rather confused as to why we were here. She insisted that I take a seat, and I did, though I watched her as closely as I could.

"I know you didn't do anything for me, but reguardless, you saved my friend's life. For that, I thank you." I was rather stunned at this. I admit, I was about to ask her why she was thanking me of all people, when her tired glare shut my mouth. One thing I learned from my mother was that you don't interrupt when someone sends you that look. "Look, no arguing, explaining yourself, or whatever it was you were going to do. This is me thanking you, and you can deal with it. Now.. I'd like for you to stay here for the night." I regret to admit that my first thoughts on this were with her. I blame how poorly she worded it though.

"W-what..? Here!?" I stammered out. Honestly, I was flustered by this, still trying to sort out what she actually meant. I mean, here I was, trying to get past this stupid crush on a murderer, and she was throwing out things like this.

Xion nodded.

"Why? Wouldn't that be stupid on your part?" Did she realize what she had implied, or was this all accident? And even if she did mean just stay in this room, didn't she realize that I was still an enemy? "What if I try to escape or try to kill you, or take you hostage? It wouldn't be difficult."

"Then you either escape, or have to deal with the rest of the crew. You may not trust me, but Roxas.. You didn't have to save your brother... You could have taken advantage of the situation... And yet, you didn't. That alone has earned my trust.." She stated softly before making her way to the door. She was surprisingly honest. It left me more confused than anything. "Get some rest," She ordered softly before heading back out of the room.

That brings me full circle... I glanced at the door, deciding against running. I had no idea where I was, or how to get back. Also, taking Xion hostage now would be stupid. There were seven of them, and one of me. No... I guess... It would probably be best to take advantage of this all and learn what I can about her...

Slowly getting up from the chair, I made my way to her desk, going over what papers and books she had. She obviously spent a lot of time in here, unlike me with my old quarters. I only ever stayed in there for sleep. Most of the papers were trade transactions or intercepted reports on the Navy. That explained how she was always one step ahead of us...

I started going through the books and began flipping through them. It seemed that Xion preferred to read fantasy books... The ones where there's the happily ever after endings... It wasn't long before I found one book that didn't fit with the others. It was old and worn, but recently used. Picking it up and flipping through it, I quickly realized that it was the captain's journal...

Curiosity got the best of me as I read through it. I was stunned by the contents. Here was something that she had since she was eight... Apparently, Xion wasn't just a handmaid... She was Kairi and Naminé's half-sister... Ansem was aware of this and still cared for her... There was nothing about wanting him dead or anything. In fact, it proved that she loved him... Then there was the entry from five years ago... The day the King died. This page was tear stained... There wasn't anything that could link her to the death of the king... The next entry was a few days after that. After they were on the run... Xehanort.. and Vanitas... Something in my gut told me that I knew this all along...

I was about to keep reading, when the door opened. I froze and looked up to see Axel holding a sleeping Xion. I had to admit that she looked adorable like that... Then Axel snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Whatcha looking at, Kid?" He asked, watching me carefully.

"...Is this all true?" I asked after a moment. I didn't know if I could believe Axel or not, but if he contradicted anything I had read, I would know.

"What? Kairi and Xion being sisters? Xehanort killing his own brother and attempting to kill his neice that's next for the crown?" He asked plainly, as if the answer was obvious.

... I didn't know what to think, honestly... I had spent the last five years believing a lie... I had been used and manipulated by the real murderer... Xion hadn't kidnapped Kairi... She got her out of harm's way... But... Naminé... "Is Naminé in danger?" I asked after a moment.

"Not unless she is vocal about wanting the crown... I doubt it though. She was always too timid to come out with us. I doubt she would try to fight her uncle on this one..." Axel stated, his acid green eyes trying to assess if I was a threat or not. Apparently he didn't think so because he offered me a small smile. "Just talk to Xion tomorrow. She will explain more for you.." He left after that, leaving me alone with my thoughts.


End file.
